Transfer Credits to 4-year Universities

The quality of classes, combined with low-cost tuition, encourages many high school graduates to continue their education at a community college. In most states, community colleges have transfer agreements in place with dozens of public and private universities. In fact, among all students in the US who earned a bachelor's degree, almost 1/3 had supplemented their college education with classes from a community college.

Complete your associate's degree first, if that seems wise. Research demonstrates that associates degree students go on to complete bachelor degrees at a much higher rate than those students who transfer with only a few credits. When starting your associates degree, plan ahead and be sure that you are picking courses that will be transferable to colleges and universities later on. Further, by choosing your major early, you can take the required classes needed for your degree in a community college, saving both time and up-front investment. Look at four-year schools in your state first, to decide if any would be a good fit for you, as in-state tuition may be lower for state residents. The four-year institution that you dreamed of attending in high school might not be the best choice in the subject area that you want to pursue.

Many states have a process in place, making it clear exactly what's needed in order to transfer from a community college to a 4-year university. This will outline what classes you need to take to qualify, and what minimum GPA you'll need to maintain to avoid losing hard-earned credits when you actually transfer. The following state websites provide information about the transfer process within their state. While most states are generally similar, please ask your community college advisor about the specific guidelines for your state.

This website is not affiliated with any educational institution, and all trademarks are exclusive property of the respective owners. College Inspector is the work of a group of Thai students in Bangkok, using info from the US Department of Education, Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS). If any stats are incorrect, please contact us with the right data.